If you have ever scanned film and spent too much time tweaking contrast or temperature sliders to get just the right look, Gelatin Labs might have just simplified your life with GelForm film scanning. The film lab has formally launched GelForm, a new scanning methodology that replaces the customary control dials with vetted, named recipes. And even if it sounds like abandoning control over creativity, the shift is all about getting your scans to look great, quickly, without losing personality.
Let’s roll back for a second. Gelatin Labs initially provided photographers with ultra-flat TIFFs in order to leave room for total editing flexibility. The lab obliged by adding straightforward sliders, contrast, and temperature. But eventually, even those began to feel like they weren’t quite on target.
GelForm Comes Into Action Here for Certain Good Reasons!
Rather than going through sliders, photographers now select from a list of individual scanning “formulas” offered by GelForm film scanning by Gelatin Labs. Each comes with an identifiable tonal character and aesthetic. If you like rich tones, soft highlights, cool shadows, or even full sprocket borders, there is probably a GelForm to suit your style. It is not quite presets, more like intelligent defaults, integrated into the scanning process and optimized for real-world consistency.
Some of these bests include:
- The Hi-C: A more dramatic, high-contrast version for those who prefer bold images.
- The Palm-Aire: Warm, soft colors that give a dreamy, old-timey glow.
- The Fringe: Edgy, cool atmosphere with film edges showing.
- The Flat Earth: For purists who still want the original, ultra-flat scans with space to edit everything themselves.
These equations are not a matter of looks. They are the culmination of Gelatin Labs’ year-long process of calibrating to produce consistent scans from different machines. So, if you send the same negative in twice and choose the same GelForm, you can count on very similar results each time, thanks to GelForm film scanning. It is something film shooters know is not always possible.
Also worth noting: Gelatin Labs is expanding its hardware too, now offering scans from the iconic Fujifilm Frontier SP-3000 and SP-500 scanners. These are renowned for their lush color profiles, and will initially be available for 35mm, with 120 scans coming soon.
Why I’m Actually Excited About This Change?
I’m a film nut who doesn’t always have the time to spend an hour or two color-correcting scans just to have them come out looking like I saw them in the viewfinder. The prospect of selecting a scan type that just works, like GelForm film scanning by Gelatin Labs, and knowing I’ll receive a consistent output, is actually a blessing.
What I really appreciate is that GelForm does not remove creative control. It merely removes the guesswork. If I still need total control, “The Flat Earth” is there waiting for me. But if I want to simplify my workflow without losing quality or feel, these formulas are the best of both worlds. It is not about making choices for you. Instead, it is about providing you with better starting points. And that, to me, is a smart step forward for film labs in the modern era.
[via GelatinLabs; Image Credits: Jakob Lilja-Ruiz]
